Our Emmys Dream Ballot: The 2024 Contenders That Deserve Television's Highest Honor

17/06/2024

Ah, Emmy season. Does it ever end? The answer is a decisive "no" when it comes to 2024, considering we've already held one ceremony and are gamely preparing for a second. So many shows, so many artists, so many choices.

Fear not TV Academy voter. Yes, Emmy ballots are overwhelming. No, it's not possible to lay discerning eyes on every candidate. But your trusty TV critic is here to help. At the cost of my friendships, physical health, and basic sanity, I've spent untold hours watching as much current television as humanly possible, from the highest achievements of imagination to the lowest embarrassments of our middling TV era. Now, I pass that experience onto you, via IndieWire's 2024 Emmy Nominations Dream Ballot - a guide for voters (and reminder for casual viewers) as to what's worth honoring among the thinning but still dense TV landscape.

That being said: The below selections try to emphasize shows and performers that are either considered off the radar in general or, at least, off the radar of Emmy voters. "Baby Reindeer" and "Abbott Elementary" won't be mentioned (because everyone is very aware of each program), nor will "The Crown" or "The Morning Show" (for multiple reasons). A few presumed favorites made their way onto the list, either because their latest seasons were undeniable ("Hacks"), or I don't fully trust the oft-forgetful Emmy voters to remember them. ("Shōgun," please, prove any doubters wrong.) This is, first and foremost, a dream ballot. It is a fantasy, and therefore most rules are somewhat flexible. (Some picks may be in categories that do not match the official ballot, but all shows are eligible and on the ballot somewhere.)

So without further adieu: For your consideration, here are IndieWire's Emmy recommendations. (And if you're hungry for more, check out our long-running Consider This series!)

Best Drama Series

"The Curse" (Showtime)
"Elsbeth" (CBS)
"Interview with the Vampire" (AMC)
"Shōgun" (FX)
"Slow Horses" (Apple TV+)
"Tokyo Vice" (Max)
"X-Men '97" (Disney+)
"Outer Range" (Prime Video)

As may have been mentioned a time or two in the lead-up to Emmy voting, the post-"Succession" state of the Drama category isn't particularly stacked. Last year's elite nominees ended or are otherwise ineligible, and the remaining frontrunners (based on the series' established track records and Emmy voting history) are not exactly the cream of the crop. But here's the thing: No one has to vote for those shows. Emmy prognosticating can be a self-fulfilling prophecy - where experts pick what they think the voters will like and then the voters look to the experts to see what they should be voting for - but there's no TV Academy bylaw that says "The Crown" must get its 15 nominations.

Members can vote for anything they want! And there are plenty of good to great dramas to choose from, whether you're looking for the wildly ambitious prestige offerings ("The Curse," "Shōgun"), the sneaky smart I.P. extensions ("X-Men '97," "Interview with the Vampire"), the handsomely mounted crowd-pleasers ("Slow Horses," "Tokyo Vice"), or the exciting, endearing oddballs ("Elsbeth," "Outer Range"). Just off the final list are worthy additions like "Justified: City Primeval," "Dark Winds," and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," which goes to show just how deep the Drama bench is if you look past the presumed starting five.

So, you know, do that.

Best Comedy Series

"Hacks" (Max)
"Reservation Dogs" (FX)
"What We Do in the Shadows" (FX)
"Girls5eva" (Peacock)
"I'm a Virgo" (Prime Video)
"We Are Lady Parts" (Peacock)
"The Righteous Gemstones" (HBO)
"Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" (Netflix)

Let me start by saying (so my wife doesn't file for divorce) that I firmly believe "Curb Your Enthusiasm" deserves a Best Comedy Series nomination. Hell, I would be happy if it won, but that's an argument for post-nominations, when Larry David's long-running masterpiece will very likely be nominated because the TV Academy is already quite familiar (and quite pleased) with his work. "Hacks" will also almost certainly be nominated, but come on - even with six Emmy wins in two seasons, you all know we're not talking about "Hacks" enough.

But I digress. Clearly, there are shows getting far less love despite being just (or nearly) as good. "Reservation Dogs" tops most critics' lists of the unjustly snubbed, and 2024 marks its best (and last) chance to be rightfully honored. "We Are Lady Parts" held a very quiet Season 2 launch that could be made up for with a few Emmy nods. "The Righteous Gemstones," "What We Do in the Shadows," and "Girls5eva" are three veteran comedies that all put comedy first and all deserve recognition for how consistently hilarious, inventive, and sharp each season has been. "I'm a Virgo" came out last summer, so here's hoping voters haven't forgotten about it, while "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" will have to battle animation bias to make the cut. But animation isn't a genre, so just like "X-Men '97" in Best Drama above, "Scott" deserves to be here.

Brian Tee and Nicole Kidman in "Expats" Courtesy of Prime Video

Best Limited Series

"Expats" (Prime Video)
"Fargo" (FX)
"Ripley" (Netflix)
"The Sympathizer" (HBO)
"Full Circle" (Max)

The Limited Series category is having such a strong year that "Shōgun" fled for Drama - not that that made it any easier to settle on five nominees. "Fellow Travelers," "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans," and "True Detective: Night Country" all just missed the cut, in favor of three absolute gems: "Expats," Lulu Wang's extraordinary Prime Video adaptation, "Fargo," which roared back to life in its fifth season, and "Ripley," Steven Zaillian's meticulous imagining of "Ripley." Park Chan-wook's "The Sympathizer" is nearly on their level and certainly the densest of the bunch, but I also wanted to shout-out "Full Circle," Steven Soderbergh's savvy, thoughtful thriller from the summer of 2023. If you missed it then, don't let it get by you now - I know you voters love Claire Danes!

Best Actors (Any Actors!) in a Drama Series

Tadanobu Asano, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Anna Sawai, "Shōgun"
Adelaide Clemens, "Justified: City Primeval"
Carrie Coon, "The Gilded Age"
Paul Dano, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"
Nathan Fielder, Benny Safdie, and Emma Stone, "The Curse"
Imogen Poots, "Open Range"
Carrie Preston, "Elsbeth"
Ella Purnell, "Fallout"
Sam Reid, "Interview with the Vampire"
Ken Watanabe, "Tokyo Vice"

Rather than go category by category (six Best Actor nominees here, six Best Actress nominees there, six more for Supporting and Guest and I'm tired just writing this sentence), I've lumped together each genre into one neat little bundle of 10 actors. And yes, I cheated right out of the gate: Sue me, but all three of the "Curse" stars deserve to be nominated, as does this trio from "Shōgun" (if not more). Both Carries should be automatic nominees the second you see their work, and Ken Watanabe has been overlooked too long for his impeccably rugged work in "Tokyo Vice" (yes, "too long" means "for one season").

My soft spot for Adelaide Clemens is well-established (that she gives a comic masterclass in "City Primeval" shouldn't disqualify her for a Drama nod), and as much as I want Walton Goggins to get his second-ever Emmy nod (and first since 2011), this isn't his category. (Plus, Ella Purnell has the tougher task in "Fallout" and rises to the occasion with good cheer and effortless charisma.) Sam Reid and Imogen Poots gave the two most gonzo turns on TV this season (that were still rooted in emotional depths), which just leaves my Guest Star preference: Paul Dano, in a rather thankless role on "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," turned his mysterious neighbor into a curious fixation point, one simultaneously understood as Donald Glover's nagging foe and Maya Erskine's crush-worthy boy-next-door. He was fun, totally invested in the character, and able to shift the vibe of a scene whenever he felt like it. Give him the gold.

Best Actors in a Comedy Series

Matt Berry, "What We Do in the Shadows"
Rose Byrne, "Platonic"
Larry David, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
Walton Goggins, "The Righteous Gemstones"
Renée Elise Goldsberry, "Girls5eva"
Devery Jacobs, "Reservation Dogs"
Jharrel Jerome, "I'm a Virgo"
Diarra Kilpatrick, "Diarra From Detroit"
Alanna Ubach, "Ted"
Kristen Wiig, "Palm Royale"

I'm going to be honest: "Ted" is not a show I expected to be thinking about five minutes - let alone five months - after I saw it, but Alanna Ubach is excellent as the put-upon mom, Susan. She works that Bahston accent into a hilarious arrangement of syllables and delivers meme-worthy reactions to the nonstop bad behavior all around her. Rose Byrne is another under-appreciated comedian, and "Platonic" serves as a showcase of her pitch-perfect timing and all-in physical comedy. Matt Berry, Larry David, Kristen Wiig - these are people voters know, in shows you better know, but they've been overlooked before and can't afford to be again. That goes double for Devery Jacobs and Renée Elise Goldsberry, and even though Jharrel Jerome already won an Emmy, wouldn't it be something for his next nomination after the solemn "When They See Us" to be for playing a giant, goofy teenager caught in an extended adolescence? Finally, do yourself a favor and start watching "Diarra From Detroit" - you won't be able to stop.

André Holland in ‘The Big Cigar' Courtesy of Brendan Adam-Zwelling / Apple TV++

Best Actors in a Limited Series

Jonathan Bailey, "Fellow Travelers"
Calista Flockhart, "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans"
Jodie Foster, "True Detective: Night Country"
Hugh Grant, "The Regime"
André Holland, "The Big Cigar"
Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo, "Expats"
Taylor Kitsch, "Painkiller"
Andrew Scott, "Ripley"
Juno Temple, "Fargo"
Hoa Xuande, "The Sympathizer"

There are some big names on this list, which is almost inevitable given the star-driven state of most modern limited series. Even the non-stars of "Baby Reindeer" have become names of their own accord, so instead of waxing on about Andrew Scott's haunting turn as Tom Ripley or Hugh Grant's scene-stealing episode of "The Regime," let me just say this: Please, please, please make sure Hoa Xuande's name is read on Emmy nominations' morning. An impossible role to cast and an even more challenging part to play, the "Sympathizer" lead may have had the most demanding job of any actor here. And he nailed it.